Pan-lifter.



PATENTEDy MAY l5, 1906.

A. G. JOHNSON.

PAN LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED 1113.5, 1904.

n A e UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE Specification of Letters Patent.

APatenten. may 15, 1906.

Application filed February 5, 1904. Serial No. 192,080.

To all whom it may concern.: v

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. J oHNsQN, a

' citizen of the UnitedStates of America, re-

siding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pan-Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates' to certain new and useful improvements in pan-lifters; and its Objectis to produce a device of this class which shall have certain advantages, which will app-ear moreffully and at large in the course of this specification.

To this end my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, which are clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings and Vdescribed in this specification.

In the aforesaid drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device.

ig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through thesame,'and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the central portion of the device inverted.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that my preferred device consists of two members A and B, pivoted together approximately at their center. The part A, 4it will be seen, is provided with a central perforation formed by stamping down two small tongues a, and the rear portion or handle of the member B is made small to ass through this perforation. The memberEB, it will be seen, has a lateral flange `b, which lies between the ton es a and is pivoted thereto by a in'C passing through said tongues. The mem er A 1s rovided at its end with a lip A. The memberlB is likewise provided witha l B, adapted to swing toward the lip A an coact therewith to grasp the edge of and support a pan. A depressed portion b is rovided at the upper end of the lip B to a ord room for the rim at the upper edge of a pan. The member A lies substantially in a single lane slightlycurved, while the member B ies substantiall in two planes, so that the handle portion B may lie above the handle portion of the member A and the 'aw portion elow the jaw portion of the mem er A. The two members are practically of the same lateral extent except at the point where the member B crosses the other member, and

here the member A is widened'to accommo-v date the member B. ,The sides of the two members are curved up and then downward in the form of flan es to strengthen the lifter and to present a p easing appearance. The

flange of the lower handle isib ent back underneath the same to present a smooth round grip.

The operation of this device will be readily apparent. The handle at the rear of the member A is grasped in the hand of the operator, andthe li is hooked over the edge of the pan. The andle of the piece B is then pushed down, thus'swinging the lip B into contact with the pan and giving a firm grasp thereon. Aparticular advantage of my device lies in the fact that the two parts are so pivoted that when the partAis held horizontally in the'hand, as it would be when in use, the forward end or jaw of the part B swings down of its own weight to the position indicated byv dotted lines in Fig. 1, its downward movement in this direction being limited by engagement of the part B with the forward edge of the perforation in the piece A, through which it passes. Thus whenever the device is taken in the hand the jaws automatically open b gravity to receive'the article to. be graspe and the handle of the movable jaw is checked in its upward movement, so as to be in convenient position to be depressed by the thumb of the operator in closing the jaws. It should be noticed that the pivot C is some little distance from the jaws of the lifter and also that the plane of the jaws when closed is approximately perpendicular to the plane passing throu h the jaws and the pivot C. The result of t's arrangement of the parts is that the iinal movements of the jaws as they grip the pan are approximately in parallel planes-that is to say, ie movement of the jaws toward each other is exceedin ly slight as compared with their movement a ong each other. This gives'the jaws a sort of wedging action u on the pan and enables a very secure hold to be taken upon the latter with but littleexertion of force upon the handle.

` I claim as new and desire .to secure by Let- IIO comprising an upper handle and lower jaw extending substantially in two planes connected by diagonal portions which extend through the opening in the first-mentioned member, the end of the lower jaw also being formed with a flat lip extending along the lip on the upper jaw and coacting therewith to grasp a vessel, the handle and jaw portions of 0th members being 'approximately of the same lateral extent, except at the pivot-- point Where the lower hand e and upper jaw member is widened to receive the other member, the side edges of both members being bent upward and down in the form of round flanges and that portion of the flange on the 15 lower handle being turned inward to form a smooth grip. v

In witness whereof I have signed the above application for Letters Patent, at Chicago, in

the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 2o 1st day of February, A. D. 1904.

ALBERT G. JOHNSON. 

